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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · pitcher · bank · staff · drill · field · bound · board

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. board — to get on
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bank — for money
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bound — certain
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bank — for money
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bound — tied together
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bank — of a river
  14. field — for sport
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. field — farmland
  18. board — a committee
  19. staff — employees
  20. drill — army training
  21. bound — obliged
  22. field — a subject
  23. drill — a practice
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com